Folding seat



(No Model.)

No. 293,384; e

, 4 2 sheetssheet 1. Y J. B'WAKBFIELD;

` FOLDING SEAT.

Patented Feb. 12. 1884.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. L E I F E K` A W E.v J.

PULDING SEAT.

No. 293,384. Patented Feb. 12, 1884.

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Nrrnn STATES VPnrniwlr @PrienQ JOHN E. VAKEFIELD, OF VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING SEAT.

l SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 293,3'84, dated February l2,l 1884s.*i Application filed June 19,11863. (No model.) l l T @ZZ whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, J oHN E. WAKEFIELD,

of Worcesten in the State of Massachusetts,

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, showing one seat open, the other folded, the frame of the folded seat being in section at the pivots of the seat.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, showing a modifica-` tion of the supporting-frame; 'and Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the same.

The frames A are to be of castfiron, wood, or other material, and they may be more or less ornamental. I, however, prefer to make the same as hereinafter described.

At a a there are pivot-bearings for the seatframes B. These seat-frames may be provided with cane, perforated wood, or other material as a surface, and the frame itself may beef wood or l metal. Itis generallyof wood, and the pivotbearings receive pivotsfastened to the seatframes, as shown at b b,- bu't the pivots may be a rod passing through the frames A, upon which the seats swing. l

The seats, when in position for use, rest upon the bearings d d, extendingout from the frames A, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and when turned up such seats are vertical or nearly so 5 or there may be a strip of wood, d', runningualong and fastened to the front legs, to support the seat when in use, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3.

The backs D are composed of wood o r metal frames, with cane, perforated veneers, or othersurfaces, andthe backs and seats are united by hinges e c, which are preferablyT in the form of L-shaped irons fastened to Athe seatframe, with the pivots at the upper ends of the vertical portions, as shown 5 but any suitable hinge may be employed. In order to prevent the backs falling over, there are arm pieces or links g, pivoted one at each side thereof either dithe radius-bars.

rectly or to a protecting-loop. Said arm-pieces are preferably made broad upon their upper surfaces to form rests, and the said arm`pieces may be. united to fixed upward extensions of Vthe frame A: but it is best to hingethem to the swinging radius-bars h h, that are pivoted upper ends. Any suitable stops can be provided, butit is usually preferable to pivot these radius-bars at the pivotbearings of the seat, as shown, and to have the stopsbelow the seats, so as to avoid risk of catching the clothing and injuring the same.

- shown in Fig. 4) are in the form of forks l at the lower end of the radius-bars h, below the pivot t'.

either one side or the other and limit the swinging movement of the radius-bars h.

. Vhen in use, a person sitting upon the scat is supported by the pivots and the rests d, and the back is allowed a swinging, movement to the extent of the motion of the upper ends of This is a great convenience in public buildings, because when a person is passing behind an occupied seat the occupant will generally lean forward, and the back of the chair can then be pressed toward such occupant and allow more room for the person passing behind.

When the seat is not occupied, it is folded into a very small compass. Theseat folds up atthe front edge and the back edge goes down, carrying with it the back,which descends, and the arm pieces or links swing downwardly; hence the back of the seat is moved bodily farther away from the range of seats behind it and brought to lie flat against the seat, and the back, being lowered bodily, allows more room for the clothing of a person passing at either side of it, so that there is as much room as possible given at the passages in front and behind the rows of seats, or between one row of seats and the next.

The frame Aat the end of the row of seats' may extend up and form an arm, as seen by dotted lines in Fig. 2 5. but usually this is not desirable.` A similar arm-piece may be provided between the'seats,lif required. It is The forks pass infront of and behind the cross-bar l, so as to bear upon the same at and allowed a limited extent of motion at the The stops (mostclearly usually best to have 'the top parts of the links form the arm-pieces, as shown.

` or frame of the folding seat.

` sition.

` be swung toward each other when the seats Z Z, as shown by the full lines.

`so that the topA surfaces of the sockets are At the bottom of. thelseat there may be a hat-holder, or a holder for an overcoat or other garment.

It is usually preferable to construct the cross-, bar ZZ in such a manner as to form foot-rests for the persons sitting behind. Vith this object in View, said cross bar may be of wood, and sufficiently wide to have openings in it for the feet, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l; or there may be upper and lower cross-bars flush with the floor. The socket may, ho\ fever, be secured in any other suitable manner. Into each socket a screw is fitted, that is capable of being screwed ldown into the socket ii'ush with the floor, and there is a neck or contraction below the head of the screw,into which This foot-piece is preferably connected at its upper end by a pivot-screw with the cross-bar Z, so as to be adj usted laterally by swinging it, if necessary, to cause the fork to set into the neck of the screw; but said slotted foot-piece" may be upon any convenient part of the body rlhe upper surfaces of the slotted foot-pieces are recessed sufficiently to allow the screw-heads to enter into the same when screwed down, and thus firmly hold the seat in position.

To remove the seat it is only necessary to loosen the screws, slide the seat and slotted foot-pieces away from the screw-necks, and screw the screws down fiushwith the oor, and the parts are in place, ready to be used again when the seats are restored to their po- Vhere it is desirable to contract the frames A to lessen the space occupied by the Vseats when packed away or when being transported, either one or both of the leg-pieces may be hinged to the central part. I have shown the two sets of legs, t and u, as hinged at e to the central part, A, of the frames, so that they can are removed from the floor. These frames A are made double, as seen in Fig. l, at the places where the upper ends of the legs tu are introduced, so that said legs pass into the spaces between two parallel portions of the frames, A, as seen in Figs. 4t and 5.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, with the pivoted seat, of a back, hinges connecting the seat and back, supporting-frames, radius-bars pivoted to the frames, mechanism, substantially as described,

to limit the movement of such radius-bars, and

links `connecting the radius-bars to the back, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the supportingframes, the seat B, pivots upon which suchV seat is swung, a back, D, hinges connecting the back and seat, radius-bars h upon the seatpivots, links g, connecting the upper ends of the radius-bars with the back, forked lower ends upon .the radius-bars, and means, substantially as described, to limit the swinging movement of such radius-bars, substantially as set forth.

3.' The metallic seatfra1nes having projecting rests (Z, in combination with the seat B,the pivots upon which the seat is swung,the radiusbars h, pivoted upon the frames, mechanism, substantially as described, to limit the movement of -the radius-bars, the back D, hinges connecting the same to the seat, andlinks connecting the upper ends of the radius-bars with the back., substantially as set forth.

4L. The combination, with movable seats, of the split foot-pieces connected therewith, the socket having external and internal screwthreads, and whereby it may be screwed into the fioor, and a screw within the socket to confine the split foot-pieces, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the seat, of asplit foot-piece united at the upper end to the frame of the seat, and a metal socket and a screw within the same, for confining the split footpiece, substantially as set forth.

6. A screw for movable seats, formed of a metal socket fastened into the floor and ascrew within such socket, for the purpose and as set forth. l

Signed by me this 12th day of June, A. D. 1888.

JOHN E. VAKEFIELD.

fitnesses GEO. T. PINcKNEY, XVILLIAM G. Morr.

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